Joy Comes in the Morning

Easter Sunday
Just these lines …

… to say that Palm Sunday was full of so many beautiful things: our donkey with his lovely flower head wreath; gorgeous, gorgeous music from our Children/Cherub Choirs, Praise Team, Sanctuary Choir, and Orchestra (amazing leadership from Craig Estep, Eon Malan, Joel Mullis, Ashleigh Broome, Dori Peterman, Shannon Hurleigh and Tina Fincher); a pastoral prayer for the ages by Rev. Linda Kelly; worship coordination from Jonnie Hildreth and Amy Ramsey; ASL Interpreter Julia Sain; fabulous ushers; warm-hearted greeters; fun and caring nursery workers and so much. Moreover, I could not even come close to naming all the intricacies of our Jerusalem Marketplace and the cast of volunteers to make this a Sunday beyond imagination. Thank you to Pastor Corey and all who made the other end of our campus (Gym and The Commons) so special. What a glorious Palm Sunday 2025!

You can worship with us and experience most all of the happenings above, including the donkey, by clicking here.

On Sunday, I also spoke of the cross of Jesus. I called it the ancient world’s electric chair, its lynching tree, its loaded gun. How could the cross of Jesus possibly be our hope?

I’m reminded of the massive marble reredos in our Sanctuary with the cross carved out of the center over 30 years ago. Max McLeod was an imaginative, creative, resourceful architect, and he designed the cross to be, in his words, “… an unseen source of light through the dark, blood-red stone reminding us of the spirit of Christ, the Light of the World.”

Max made sure that the concrete structure of the reredos was built before any building was constructed on our site and, just prior to Easter Sunday 1992, its support frames were stripped away revealing an empty cross. Max passed away in 2020, and we thank him for this legacy as a reminder of our foundation.

I trust you’ll return to our magnificent place of worship this Sunday to see the fully illuminated cross, or as Max would say, “… actually the absence of the cross, reminding Christians of our risen Christ.”

I invite you to worship with us all this week on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter. Details about our Holy Week and Easter schedule are below. I invite you not because you need to do your time to be counted on God’s “nice” list. I invite you because this week is God’s answer to the most difficult questions that faithful people (and really, all people) have about the hardest aspects of life.

We can’t rush ahead to Easter Sunday without setting our face, the way Jesus “set his face to go …” (Luke 9:51) to the cross. That’s where we, with him, face up to death; his death and our own.

Come. Come for faith, hope and love.

Video Devotional
Have you ever considered that God may have tears; that God may weep? Let’s talk about it today. Please click to view for us to talk about how Joy Comes in the Morning.

Celebrate Easter

• Community Easter Egg Hunt – This Saturday, April 19, 6-8 pm. Hunts for all ages, special prizes, games, inflatables, food trucks & more! We are in GREAT NEED for Adults to VOLUNTEER (simple tasks & hospitality) for this fun event!
• Maundy Thursday Worship – The Last Supper Service led by Rainbow Express Ministries – This Thursday, April 17, 7 pm in the Sanctuary
• Good Friday Tenebrae Service of Shadows with Special Music Presentation – This Friday, April 18, 7 pm in the Sanctuary
• EASTER SUNDAY SERVICES: – 6:30 – Sunrise Service (Sanctuary Lot) – 8:15 & 11:00 Traditional Worship (Sanctuary & Livestream) – 9:30 Contemporary Worship (Sanctuary & Livestream) – 9:30 United Kids Ministry presents Easter Jam Service (Gym) – 10:30 Butterfly Release (Courtyard – Weather Permitting) – Centro Cristiano Hosanna Servicio en Espanol: 6:30 am (Eagle’s Nest) & 12:30 pm (Sanctuary)

Nursery for 3 & under is provided for all worship hours (except for Sunrise), & there will be NO United Kids or Youth Sunday Morning Small Groups. ASL interpretation available for in-person Holy Week services: Palm Sunday at 11 am, Maundy Thursday at 7 pm, Good Friday at 7 pm, Easter Sunday at 11 am.

• Other Upcoming Events
  All-Church Gathering – Monday, April 28, 7 pm in the Sanctuary. (Arrive 6:30 for fellowship & refreshments.) Meet our New Pastors!
• Saturday Serve – Landscaping, painting & beautification for Global Impact Partners from 9am-Noon on April 26 at Blessed Assurance, May 3 at Rainbow Express Ministries, May 17 at Turning Point Treehouse & Greenway Park Elementary. Register here

This Sunday in Worship
We invite you to join us this Sunday in person at 6:30 (Sunrise), 8:15 (Traditional), 9:30 (Contemporary in Sanctuary & Easter Jam in Gym), 11:00 (Traditional), or online at 9:30, 11:00 or 12:30 (Spanish – in person or here on demand).

It is an active week for our Spanish-speaking CCH community. They have activities on Wednesday and Thursday. There will be five young people baptized on Saturday and nine new members joining MUMC through CCH. Then CCH will gather for a Resurrection Service at 12:30 pm. Pastor Roldan will preach from I Corinthians 15:12-22 and his sermon title is Let’s Defend Our Truth.

Pastor Linda will lead us in our Sunrise Service at 6:45 am in the Sanctuary parking lot. Pastor Corey, Alix Arndt and all our age-level staff and volunteers will be leading our Easter Jam Sunday Family Worship in the Gym at 9:30 am. Then, in all our morning Sanctuary services (8:15 am, 9:30 am, 11:00 am), we will assemble the finest of musicians who have worked so very hard to make sure good news is shared through our creative worship experiences. My Easter sermon title is Love: The Sine Qua Non from Matthew 28:1-7.

You are considering inviting someone to worship with you on Easter Sunday, right? Did you know that recent research says that 8 out of 10 people would go to church with a friend if they were asked? I do hope you’ll find someone in your world to invite to come our way.

And now, during this disconcerting, uncertain, confusing and yet, hopeful week, remember … God does God’s best work in moments like this.

Wishing You and Yours a Most Joyous Easter,
Dr. Charles (Chuck) W. Wilson II

Did you know that a Leadership Information Session was held on April 8, where MUMC Servant Leaders shared what it is like to serve in elected leadership (Administrative Council, Staff Parish Relations Committee, Trustees, Global Impact, Finance, Endowment and Leadership Development Team). View the recording here. If you’re interested in serving in elected leadership, please reach out to Pastor Chuck.

Did you know that Chip Asbury completed a two-year degree at Harvard University’s School of Business? He graduated from the Owner’s/President’s Management program. The Asbury family has been connected in and through MUMC for nearly 50 years. As his son, Andy, says, “Just when I thought he had checked all the boxes of success in life – he found another one! It’s never too late to chase your dreams!” Congratulations, Chip, and thank you for all the wonderful leadership you’ve given to our church through the years.